Nursing bottle holder



y 1965 M. A. FLANIGAN 3,182,942

NURS ING BOTTLE HOLDER Filed Sept. 17, 1962 3,182,942 NURSING BOTTLE HOLDER Marjorie A. Flanigan, 5938 Vivian Place, St. Louis, Mo. Filed Sept. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 224,016 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-107) This invention relates to bottle holders, and more particularly to a nursing bottle holder adapted to support a nursing bottle in such position as to enable an infant to comfortably and conveniently nurse from the bottle.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a nursing bottle holder adapted to support a nursing bottle in such position as to enable an infant to nurse without requiring the personal attention of a parent, for example; the provision of a nursing bottle holder ofthe class described which securely supports the bottle in a nursing position and yet permits the infant to release the nipple by moving his head; the provision of such a nursing bottle holder which supports the bottle in such a manner that the infant may take substantially all of the contents Without sucking air; the provision of a nursing bottle holder which is portable and may be used in a bassinet, car bed, crib, play pen, standard bed, or on any other fiat surface; the provision of a nursing bottle holder which is light and compact and may be carried in a standard size diaper bag; and the provision of such a nursing bottle holder which is simple and economical in construction. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a nursing bottle holder made according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view in elevation of the holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view in elevation of the bottle holder of this invention with a nursing bottle supported by the holder for an infant nursing from the bottle; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating adjustable positions of the holder.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawmgs.

Referring now to the drawings, a nursing bottle holder of this invention generally designated 1 is shown to comprise two support members generally designated A and B. Support member A may be formed of an elongate rod of plastic, for example, bent in such manner as to form legs 3 and 5 integrally joined to a connecting crosspiece 7. Support member B, which also may be formed of plastic, is bent in a similar manner to form legs 9 and 11 integrally joined together with a crosspiece 13. In general, support members A and B may be formed of any material, such as suitable plastics or metals, which is semi-flexible or relatively flexible to the extent necessary to permit the support members to be flexed or extended in an outward direction. Crosspieces 7 and 13 of support members A and B are formed with downwardly curved port-ions 15 and 17. On each side of the downwardly curved portions, the crosspieces are held together by collars or hands 19 and 21. These bandsmay be formed of tubular plastic, such as polyethylene, for example.

Both crosspieces 7 and 13 are wrapped with soft padding 23, such as foam rubber padding for example, in the area between bands 19 and 21. An elastic strap 25 V is secured to the padding 23 and extends across the downwardly curved portions 15 and 17 of the crosspieces. The downwardly curved portions of the crosspieces and the padding therearound constitute a saddle for supporting a nursing bottle.

Each of the legs 3, 5, 9 and 11 is preferably provided with an inwardly extending foot 27 at its lower end. A base plate 29 is notched as indicated at 31 for releasably engaging the legs immediately above the feet 27.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, the norm-a1 position of the legs 3, 5, 9 and 11 is indicated in dotted lines. To set the legs in the notches 31, the legs 3 and 5 and legs 9 and 11, respectively, are moved or flexed outwardly away from each other. Also, legs 3 and 9 and legs 5 and 11, respectively, are moved or swung away from each other to snap them into notches 31. The flexibility of the collars 19 and 21 permits the movement of legs 3 and 5 away from legs 9 and 11, respectively. After the legs have been snapped into notches 31 of plate 29, the bottle holder is rigid and difiicult to move or otherwise dislodge from plate 29.

The holder is assembled for supporting a nursing bottle in the following manner:

The base plate 29 is placed under a baby pad such as indicated at 33. After an infant has been placed on the pad and the infants head elevated by means of a pillow 35, for example, legs 3, 5, 9 and 11 are moved or flexed in an outward direction and legs 3 and 9 and 5 and 11, respectively, are spread apart and snapped into notches 31 with feet 27 under the base plate 29. A nursing bottle 37 is then slipped through elastic strap 25 and angularly adjusted until the nipple thereof is in proper position to be received in the infants mouth.

The holder may be adjusted to either of the dotted-line positions C and D shown in FIG. 5 for varying, the angularity of the holder relative to an infant being fed. In both positions C and D, the holder assumes a static or rigid position.

The infant may then proceed to nurse fromthe bottle. Should the infant become tired of nursing and turn its head or release the nipple, the bottle is maintained in its nursing position and will not slip out or become dislodged from this position. Moreover, it will be noted that the holder permits tilting of the bottle so that the nipple at the lower end of the bottle is filled with the contents thereof until the infant takes substantially all of the contents, thereby preventing the infant from sucking air.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the base plate 29 is eliminated by placing feet 27 directly under pad 33. In this embodiment, the feet 27 under the pad 33 support the holder, and the collars 19, which frictionally hold the crosspieces 7 and 13 together, stabilize the holder against collapse or movement. The holder is further stabilized by the pillow which serves as an abutment against the legs of the closer supporting memher.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. 7

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A nursing bottle holder comprising a pair of support members, each support member comprising a pair of relatively flexible legs and a crosspiece extending between the upper ends of said legs, each pair of legs being spaced to straddle the body of an infant, each of said crosspieces having a saddle portion between said legs, means securing the cr-osspiece of one support member and the crossp-iece of the other support member together at each end of said saddle portions, meansfor releasably securing a nursing bottle on said saddle portions, a base having a plurality of notche in each end thereof for releasably securing the legs of each support member in a fixed position with one leg of each support member being secured in a notch on one end of said base and the other leg of each support member being secured in a notch at the other end of said base, one leg of each support member being normally spaced apart from the other leg of the support member a predetermined distance lengthwise of the base and the respective legs of one support member and the corresponding legs of the other support member being normally closely adjacent each other at the ends of said base, the distance between the notches on one end of said base and the corresponding notches on the other end of said base being greater than said predetermined distance, whereby the legs of each support member may be moved away from each other and the respective legs of one support member may be moved away from the corresponding legs of the other support member to be releasably secured in said notches.

2. nursing bottle holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said legs include feet at their lower ends, said feet being located under said base when said legs are secured in said notches.

3. A nursing bottle holder as set forth in claim 2 further comprising padding wrapped around said saddle portions, said means for securing a nursing bottle on said saddle portions comprising strap means secured to said padding and adapted to receive a nursing bottle.

4. A nursing bottle holder as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for securing said crosspieces together comprises a pair of flexible collars surrounding both of said crosspieces on opposite ends of said saddle portions.

References Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 392,151 10/88 Frick 248175 X 1,006,328 10/11 Widenhofer 248175 X 2,381,201 8/45 Boate 248--1O7 2,760,742 8/56 Alger 248107 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner. 

1. A NURSING BOTTLE HOLDER COMPRISING A PAIR OF SUPPORT MEMBERS, EACH SUPPORT MEMBER COMPRISING A PAIR OF RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE LEGS AND A CROSSPIECE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID LEGS, EACH PAIR OF LEGS BEING SPACED TO STRADDLE THE BODY OF AN INFANT, EACH OF SAID CROSSPIECES HAVING A SADDLE PORTION BETWEEN SAID LEGS, MEANS SECURING THE CROSSPIECE OF ONE SUPPORT MEMBER AND THE CROSSPIECE OF THE OTHER SUPPORT MEMBER TOGETHER AT EACH END OF SAID SADDLE PORTIONS, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY SECURING A NURSING BOTTLE ON SAID SADDLE PORTIONS, A BASE HAVING A PLURALITY OF NOTCHES IN EACH END THEREOF FOR RELEASABLY SECURING THE LEGS OF EACH SUPPORT MEMBER IN A FIXED POSITION WITH ONE LEG OF EACH SUPPORT MEMBER BEING SECURED IN A NOTCH ON ONE END OF SAID BASE AND THE OTHER LEG OF EACH SUPPORT MEMBER BEING SECURED IN A NOTCH AT THE OTHER END OF SAID BASE, ONE LEG OF EACH SUPPORT MEMBER BEING NORMALLY SPACED APART FROM THE OTHER LEG OF THE SUPPORT MEMBER A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE LENGTHWISE OF THE BASE AND THE RESPECTIVE LEGS OF ONE SUPPORT MEMBER AND THE CORRESPONDING LEGS OF THE OTHER SUPPORT MEMBER BEING NORMALLY CLOSELY ADJACENT EACH OTHER AT THE ENDS OF SAID BASE, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE NOTCHES ON ONE END OF SAID BASE AND THE CORRESPONDING NOTCHES ON THE OTHER END OF SAID BASE BEING GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE, WHEREBY THE LEGS OF EACH SUPPORT MEMBER MAY BE MOVED AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND THE RESPECTIVE LEGS OF ONE SUPPORT MEMBER MAY BE MOVED AWAY FROM THE CORRESPONDING LEGS OF THE OTHER SUPPORT MEMBER TO BE RELEASABLY SECURED IN SAID NOTCHES. 